Michael Sheen is playing a cautious game on The Celebrity Traitors, but his calm exterior may conceal a ticking time-bomb. Two episodes into the series, the Welsh actor has adopted a low-key strategy, staying in the background while other celebrities dominate the drama.
The show, filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, features 21 stars competing in TV's biggest game of deception. Sheen, known for roles in The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and Twilight, is among this year's intake, marking his first foray into reality TV.
Sheen's Uncertain Start
Before the launch, fans speculated whether Sheen would want to be a traitor or a faithful. The actor himself was unsure. When host Claudia Winkleman asked him directly, he admitted, "I've thought about this a lot. I can see that being a traitor, you're in the thick of it, got some control, but I think it'd be very stressful."
His friends and family, however, had a different view. "They all say, 'Oh my god, you'd be a brilliant traitor.' And I say, 'Well, I don't—I'm not sure I want to be,'" Sheen revealed. "I think what people will see is someone very calm and confident and assured, and I think that's why people go, 'Oh, you'd be a great traitor.' But I kind of go, 'Yeah, but underneath, I'm a scared little person.'"
Playing It Safe So Far
So far, Sheen has stuck to his word, playing an extremely safe game. He has been quieter than bigger characters like Ross Kemp, Joe Lycett, and Richard E Grant, but has still shared his opinions at the round table and shown a comedic side.
Body language specialist Judi James has flagged a potential issue. Speaking to Paddy Power, she noted a "telling" signal from the first episode: when Richard E Grant arrived, Sheen turned his head back quickly, a gesture she interpreted as "rejection or ignore," hinting at possible "beef" between the two men.
Odds and Allies
Despite his quiet start, Sheen is the most likely to win the series, with odds of 7/2, according to ActionNetwork.com. His Good Omens co-star David Tennant backed him, saying, "He's a chameleon, isn't he? He could be a different person every day."
Sheen, however, believes being an actor is a disadvantage. "I do think it's a disadvantage to be an actor because people immediately go, 'oh well, he pretends for a living,'" he told the BBC. "Just for me being an actor, I think that's a disadvantage because people are already suspicious of that."
He has also formed a fast friendship with Miranda Hart, who appears to be a strong, reliable faithful and could defend him if suspicion arises. The question remains: can Sheen stay quiet when pressure builds, or will his activist instincts surface at the round table? Episodes one and two are available on BBC iPlayer.
